Process of carbonizing coal.



No. 876,420. PATENTED JAN. 14

W. YOUNG & S. GLOVER.

PROCESS OF GARBONIZING GOAL.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 13, 1906.

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PROCESS OF CARBONIZING GOAL.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 13, 1906- a SHBETS+SHEET 2;

WXTNESES; lNVENTQRS, WILLIAMYOUNG zvaoL SANLUELgLOVER BY w ALtQT LQIi.

W. YOUNG & S. GLOVER.

PROCESS OF GARBONIZING GOAL.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 13, 1906.

PATENTED JAN. 14, 1908.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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SAMUE 1. GLOV ER, BY jhlwakkx xtb Atterneg.

UNITED STATES PATENT (DEETQEO WILLIAM YOUNG, OF PEEBLES, SCOTLAND, AND SAMUEL GLOVER, OF ST. HELENS, ENGLAND.

PROCESS OF CARBONIZKNG COAL.

Patented Jan. Mt, 1908.

Application filed November 13. 1906- Serial No. 343.268-

!0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM YOUNG and SAMUEL GLOVER, subjects of the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and lire-land, and residing at Peebles, Scotland, and St. llelcns, Lancashire, England, respectively, have invented certain new and useful improvements in the Process of arbonizing toals forthe Production of Illuminating and Heating Gases, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the destructive distillation, or carbonization of coal for the productionof illuminating and heating gases and more particularly consists in an improved method of applying the heat necessary for the carbonizing process, whereby ,such heat is more ell'ectively and economically utilized and better results obtained.

The invention is based upon the principle that when coals are carbonized the conditions should be such that the volatile matters will lie-eliminated from the coals without having to pass through and come into contact with highly heated surfaces, and that the volatile matters after being eliminated will be decomposed or gasitied by the action of radiant heat of a suitable temperature. tontact with the highly heated surfaces should be avoided as far as possible. as such ously cracking up the hydrocarbon vapors evolved from the coal the carbon of the constitution of which Is largely deposited upon the heated surfaces while naphthalene and other objectionable compounds are pro duced, and the resulting gases have in consequence a lower illuminating power. (in the other hand radiant heatis selective in its action, decomposing the more complex vapors most actively, and in such a manner as to produce gas of a high quality. 7

By the decomposition or cracking up of the vapors from the coal by radiant heat it resuits that the carbon which is necessarily set free during the gasit'ying process will be in a very tiocculent condition. carbonizing' apparatus hitherto employed such carbon is carried forward in the current of gas, and is deposited in tin-stand pipes, hydraulic or other collecting mains, giving much trouble. ments'hitherto employed for the carbonizing With the 5 Further in retorting arrangeof coal the temperatures to which the rctorts are brought to effect the elimination of the volatile matters from the coal, and to attract the subsequent cracking up or gasit ying of the volatile matters being the same, it has been found necessary in practice to adjust the weight of the charge of coal in the retorts, in relation to the size of the vacant; space over the charge so that sutlicient; volatile matter maybe left ungasified, and sullicient condensable tar may be produced to wash down and preven trouble from that flocculen'tsooty deposit in the stand pipes etc.

Under our invention we employ carbonizi'ng apparatus so arranged that different sections of the retorts will be heated to diflerent temperatures (i. c. of 2190 F. and-2150 F.) in such a manner that the volatile matters are as rapidly as possible destructively distilled out of the coal progressively and so that they are evolved from the coal without being exposed to over highly heated surfaces in one section of the retort, the volatile matters so evolved being subjected in another section of the retort at a lower temperature i. 6. about 2,100 ii. to the action oi radiant heat suit able to decompose them into permanent gas of good quality, while the; ilocculent carbon and sooty tar set free by the action of the radiant heat arev filtered out and separated from the resulting gaseous matters by cansing them on leaving the retorts on their wa contact 18 tlttsttlltifl'tilitllfitllllllllt!ttly, nuunto the collecting main to pass'through the fresh charge of coal contained in the hop )er before it is charged into the retort. The 0t gaseous products are not only filtered tree from llocculent carbon and the grosser suspended tar. but there is also at the same time an advantageous exchange of heat, the. gases being cooled without separate condensing plant and the coal being heated and so )repared to undergo the carlmnizing process; besides this the tarry matters previously deposited upon-the coal, on enteringthe retorts, are gasilied; thus slightly adding to the volume of the gas and improving the residual coke.

This improved carbonizing process can be most advantageimsly carried out in vertical or highly inclined retorts, but may in part be applied to other forms of apparatus.

l'lach retort is n'ovided with a su )ply hopper from which the coal is fed into the retort, and a discharging chamber from which the coke resulting from the carbonizing of the coal is discharged. The coal maybe fed continuously into the retort, and the coke conpassed into the retort in intermittent charges and the resulting coke similarly dischargedf the charging hoppers and discharging chambers being provided with suitable apoliances to carry out either method as desired and as found best suited for the carbonizafion of the particular coal to be gasified.

The retorts are placed in settings of any convenient number and are heated by producer gas, while a regulated quantity of sec: ondary air passes through suitable flue arrangements, whereby the sections of the retorts in which the coal is destructivelv distilled are heated to a very high temperature, highest at the base of the charge, so thatthc Volatile matters will be eliminated from the coal as rapidly as 1possible and pass inwards away from the hig ily heated walls of the retorts and upwards through among the cooler interstices in the center of the charge of coals to emerge. finally from the upper surface into the higher section of the retorts, which is purposely heated by the producer gases to a lower temperature. 'lhe'gaseous products thus gasified pass away by a suitable outlet from the retort into the hoppers contalmng the fresh charge of coal, through,

which they pass, being filtered free from sooty tarry matters, and an exchange of heat effected.

The apparatus employed in carrying out the invention is exemplified in the aecompa nying drawings in whlch Figures 1, 2 and 3 show in vertical section the upper, the middle and the lower parts respectively of a set of vertical retorts and accessories for use in carbonizing coals, the retorts being represented as divided into 'threeparts for convenience of maintaining a suitable scale of drawing.

As herein re resented the retorts are built up of fire brie or formed with a fire brick lining A A. around which are formed heating flues B B heated by the combustion of producer gas upon admixture with air; The

brick-work is carried by hollow girders t) suported by pillars l) and occasional piers of rick-work. The coals to be carbonized are delivered by means of convcyers E lntolarge open hoppers F of which one is provided for a number of retorts, the hoppers being suported by upward extensions of the pillars Kt ltS I with gas ti ht valves F ing hoppers G of which one is provided for each pair of retorts, and from these hoppers G the coals are dropped on opening a bel valve Gr (operated by a lever handle (1 into a drying chamber 11. in which they are subjected to the heat of the gas generated belmv and which in passing up through the chamber deposits tarry matter on the coals. At

the bottom of this chamber II the coals are ower'end each hopper is fitted;

through which the coals are delivered into a number of measurdischarged in regulated streams by means of devices 'such as the arms If carried on shafts l 1F and arranged to sweep the coals off the surfaces of tablesll. This device. is well known in apparatus for retorting,shale and need not be particularly described. From l the tables ll the coals drop'into the retorts A which are filled to about four fifths of their 1 height, a free space being left above wherein the gas generated is subjected to radiant heat of a temperature of about JIUU l". in its passage upwards to the drying chamber If.

The coke or carbonized coal after parting with its gaseous constituents descends to the bottom of the retorts A and is continuously or intermittingly withdrawn by means'of combined right and left hand screws I carried on a rotating shaft 'l, the devices being of a type commonly used in shale retorts, the coke dropping over the ends of inclined plates l" info a discharging hopper J iitted opened by means ofa hand wheel shaft .f connected through worm gearing J with a shaft J provided with a chain pulley and chain J attached to the valve. The coke so discharged falls into a wagon K running on rails below. 7

For the purpose of slaking the coke and keeping cool the screws which draw it from the retorts and other parts of the apparatus water is delivered from a water main S through piping 0 into the hollow girders (I and is discharged through a number of orifices c in proximity to the screws 1. The steam thus formed passes up throu h and among the hot coke and charge of coaT in the retorts to assist in the production of water gas and ammonia. I

The carbomzation of the coals withm the retorts A is effected by the combustion. of producer gas and air, the gas being supplied through a main ll furnished with suitable valves L and being led by a conduit to a flue l in the lower part of the brickwork of the retorts, while the air which is heated by traversing a regenerator flue is admitted through a flue .\l toa flue M just over the gas flue I each of these flues being provided with a movable damper or other closure 1 for regulating the admission.

and throughthe heating flues B B which are fitted with suitable baffles so that the burning gas is caused to travel entirely aroundthe lower part of the retorts, thence around one. section after another at higher levels.

The various parts of the retorts are subfl, jected' to different temperatures apd to insure regulation of the temperature the second l ary'air to complete the combustion of the heating gas is admitted by lines M provided with suitable dampers Z at various levels. The heat transmitted into the space.above l the coals in the retorts IS less intense than The mixed gas and air are directed-into that at the lower levels where carbonization is effected and is regulated to insure fractional cracking up of the gas evolved as already described.

lhe waste gases resulting from the combustion of the producer gas inthe heating fiues pass into an outlet flue O and down through the brickwork to a main discharge flue 0 uni der the groundlevel. The gas generated by carbonization of the coals passes up throng l the fresh coal in the drying chamber H where tarry and ilocculent matters are deiosited on the coal, and thence the gas is led bv a bridge pipe P to the usual hydraulic main I Steam or water gas or both may be directed through the retorts from a main Q having pipe connections Q to the discharge hopper J up through the coke in which the steam or water gas or both flow on their way to and up through the retorts.

When it is desired to enrich the gas, tiquid hydrocarbon may be directed into the retorts A through suitable inlets as in the drying chamber at R.

Having now described our invention what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States isz- The'hereindescribed process of producing illuminating and heating gases by the carbouization of coals and like bituminous material, consisting in distilling a charge of coal, subjecting the volatile matters evolved therefrom to the action of radiant heat. causing the degree of said radiant heat to be gradually reduced along the route over which the volatile matters travel. whereby the same will be decomposed to form fixed gases and liberate carborn and passing the gases through a mass of coal so as to cool the gases and heat the coal, causing the coal in fall into the heated area, and drawing oil the gases so cooled.

v In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

\VM. YUYXG.

SAMUEL GLOYER. Witnesses:

WALLACE Fatmvaarnen, JOHN Amts'reose, Jr. 

